and the
smallness of him was such a surprise in contrast to what his fight had
led me to imagine he was.

R. C. had one strike and broke his line on the jerk. We had to give up
on account of sunset at hand.

* * * * *

There was another hard thunder-storm last night. The last few days have
begun the vernal equinox. It rained torrents all night and stopped at
dawn. The wind was northeast and cool. Cloudy overhead, with purple
horizon all around--a forbidding day. But we decided to go fishing,
anyhow. We had new, delicate three-six tackles to try. About seven the
wind died away. There was a dead calm, and the sun tried to show. Then
another breeze came out of the east.

We went up on the inside after bait, and had the luck to find some.
Crossing the island, we came out at the old construction camp where we
had left the canoe. By this time a stiff breeze was blowing and the tide
was rising fast. We had our troubles paddling and poling up to the grove
of cocoanuts. Opposite this we anchored and began to fish.

Conditions were not favorable. The water was choppy and roily, the canoe
bobbed a good deal, the anchors dragged, and we did not see any fish.
All the same, we persevered. At length I had a bite, but pulled too
late. We tried again for a while, only to be disappointed. Then we
moved.

We had to put the stern anchor down first and let it drag till it held
and the canoe drifted around away from the wind, then we dropped the bow
anchor. After a time I had a faint feeling at the end of my line--an
indescribable feeling. I jerked and hooked a bonefish. He did not feel
heavy. He ran off, and the wind bagged my line and the waves also helped
to pull out the hook.

Following that we changed places several times, in one of which R. C.
had a strike, but failed to hook the fish. Just opposite the old wreck
on the shore I had another fish take hold, and, upon hooking him, had
precisely the same thing happen as in the first instance. I think the
bag of my line, which I could not avoid, allowed the lead to sag down
and drag upon the bottom. Of course when it caught the bonefish pulled
free.

In some places we found the water clearer than in others. Flood-tide had
long come when we anchored opposite the old camp. R. C. cast out upon a
brown patch of weeds where we have caught some fine fish, and I cast
below. Perhaps in five minutes or less R. C. swept up his rod. I saw it
bend forward, dow